A Wrinkle in Time – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Admittedly, I haven’t read the book so I can’t say whether or not it adapts the book well. However, I can talk about it from a film standpoint. Well… There seems to be a lack of story progression in this film. Also, you won’t find any sort of conflict in Wrinkle either. The tone is so inherently good that it makes you forget that there’s a dangerous and evil being out there that takes over worlds.

Unsurprisingly, A Wrinkle in Time specifically targets kids. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the film feels so much like a kids film. But it’s the kind of kids film that feels so generic. There’s just nothing memorable about the film at all.

What the film has going for it, though, is its stellar visuals. Some of the scenes put together by Ava DuVernay are just visually stunning. When Disney marketed the film from “visionary director Ava DuVernay,” they meant it. Although there are times where the lighting and CGI don’t necessarily match. Yet those anomalies are rare which is even rarer for a film full of CGI.

Sadly, the cast is underwhelming as well in this film. It’s an incredible shame because this is a great cast that Ava DuVernay put together. Oprah Winfrey phones it in the entire time. Even her speeches fall flat which is weird coming from someone like Oprah.

Also, Mindy Kaling is criminally underused here. The lines she’s given is very reminiscent of her brainless character in “The Office.” It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just she could’ve been used better.

Fortunately, Reese Witherspoon adds a refreshing bit of life here to the Misses. She has a personality and may have some of the best lines in the film. Chris Pine also plays his character well. Although he has a small amount of screen time, he makes the most of it. The same can said about Storm Reid who brings a lot of emotion to this film as well.

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time is a corny and dull even by children’s film standards. The film may be visually stunning but visuals can’t help polish a boring film into an entertaining one.

Movie Rating: 2/5 atoms

Video

A Wrinkle in Time hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Vision/HDR10 4K transfer and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. It’s quite impressive how good Disney’s Ultra HD Blu-ray releases have been. There is a huge jump in quality between the Ultra HD Blu-ray and 1080p one. First, the video clarity is phenomenal. You can easily see every single bit of detail on the actors and costumes. Unfortunately, the video is so clear that it highlights some of the wonky CGI in the film.

Thanks to the HDR, there’s no crushing in the shadow details at all. In addition, the black levels are deep and inky as well. Also, all of the colors just gorgeously pop from the screen. For an incredibly colorful film like this, the HDR is a big positive over the 1080p Blu-ray. Overall, the HDR and resolution put the Ultra HD over the regular Blu-ray.

Video Rating: 5/5 atoms

Audio

A Wrinkle in Time hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD track. The review will reflect A Wrinkle in Time‘s core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. For a dynamically visual film such as this, the audio isn’t as dynamic. The film gets aggressive when it needs to but it has a lot of ambient scenes. The environmental effects envelopes the stage nicely and immerse you in the film as well. Because the soundtrack isn’t aggressive, the vocals can clearly be heard from the speakers as well. Altogether, the soundtrack never overpowers each other. Overall, the audio presentation is great despite the lack of aggressiveness in the mix.

Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms

Special Features

A Wrinkle in Time‘s 4K Ultra HD disc has the following special features on the release:

A Journey Through Time

Deleted Scenes (with optional director audio commentary)

Ant on a String

Aunt Beast

Meg Learns About Calvin’s Dad

Papergirl

Audio Commentary

Director Ava DuVernay

Producer Jim Whitaker

Co-Screenwriter Jennifer Lee

Production designer Naomi Shohan

First assistant director Michael Moore

Editor Spencer Averick

VFX supervisor Rich McBride

Bloopers

Original Songs/Music Videos

“I Believe” – DJ Khaled featuring Demi Lovato

“Warrior” – Chloe x Halle

For a Disney release, there’s a disappointing amount of special features found on this release. The making-of featurette covers a lot of interesting subjects including the casting, costuming, effects, and the cast diversity. The deleted scenes don’t add much to the film itself. The bloopers, audio commentary, and music videos are pleasant additions depending on your interests in them.

Special Features Rating: 2.5/5 atoms

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time progresses at a snail’s pace even by children’s standards. As a result, the film is incredibly dull and boring. Considering this is a Disney release, the video and audio presentations are top-notch. Unfortunately, the special features are a bit lacking and a little underwhelming.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 atoms

This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment